Phantom Pains
by galacticdreamer
Summary: Marigold is a drunk teen who doesn't know how to deal with emotions. During her stay with blood thirsty vampires, will she learn the truth about who she is while she sobers up? (Also on Archiveofourown)
1. Chapter 1: Observatory mansions

_time scurries away from us like field mice_

 _out through the holes in our walls_

 _lost to the dark night_

 _heal me up again_

 _everything i love gathers dust inside my chest_

 _and all the love lost was the love that i kept_

 _in coffins and boxes, a museum of the dead_

 _it's time i let go, let the darkness claim them_

\- Observatory Mansions, Nicole Dollanganger

* * *

"Marigold, don't leave the backyard. It's dangerous out there, okay sweetie?" A shrill, aged voice sang through the clear sliding door. Outside, two small feet stood in the middle of the yard, alone. Tiny hands held a pink ball tightly, the child eyes were glazed over as she twisted and turned the ball. She mumbled out an 'okay' to her mom and let the ball fall to the freshly cut grass. She let out a sigh at the sight, turning her head to the fence. Outside of the yard, she could hear kids laughing and having fun.

The little girl looked back at the sliding door, where her mom once stood. She wanted to feel sad that her mom wasn't there, but she didn't. She was taught that ' _mommy and daddy have very important things to do'_ and ' _can't always play with her'._ It's okay, she tells herself. She just has to have fun on her own. She can do that, she can do a lot of things on her own. But that didn't stop her from wanting to be with the other kids, her chest ached every time she heard a laugh from beyond the fence.

She picked up the ball and looked at it again. Eyes still glazed over, a small breeze passed through. Wind chimes echoing throughout the neighborhood. She turned around to face the fence with the ball in her hand and paused for a moment. She looked back down at the ball, and tossed the pink ball over the fence. She heard it bounce, and bounce, until she didn't.

" _Hey, is this yours?"_ A small, high pitched voice spoke from beyond the white picket fence. Marigold was just tall enough to see over it and matched the voice to a face. On the other side of the fence, a short girl around her age held her pink ball. The other girl's hands held it better, Marigold noticed.

" _Yes it is,"_ Marigold said. The girl on the otherside waited for Marigold to say something else, but she didn't.

" _...Do you want it back?_ " The girl asked with a sincere smile. It looked like the girl smiled a lot.

" _No,"_ Marigold said, " _You can keep it."_

" _Are you sure? This is a really nice ball!"_ The girl said, but the smile on her face only grew at the idea of having a new toy. Marigold didn't smile, but didn't frown either.

" _Yes, I'm sure. You'll play with it more then I would."_

" _Thank you!"_ The girl beamed, " _What's your name? We should play together!"_

" _I'm Marigold,"_ She said, " _I'm not allowed to leave the yard or have anyone come in."_

The girl looked down, the smile fading from her face. " _Oh"_ She said, " _I'm sorry. I'm Yui. Maybe when we're older we can be friends! My dad's really protective of me too, I understand."_

Marigold nodded _. "You should get back to your friends."_

" _Yeah."_ Yui responded.

But they both lingered for a moment, before Yui finally turned around and ran back to her friends. Marigold stayed at the fence, watching Yui running away. For a quick second, Yui turns back while she running and waves to Marigold, a real smile on the small blonde face. It was sincere, warm, and youthful. Marigold never saw a smile like that before. The girl meekly waved back, slower than Yui.

Then, she was gone. She went off playing with her friends, and Marigold went back to her room.

Everyday during the summer Marigold would see Yui and her friends play from her window. By the time summer ended, Marigold had her curtains closed so tight that no light shined through. Watching them have so much fun just made her feel alone. She couldn't bare it anymore. She started studying as much as she could to pass the time, making her parents proud with her sudden thirst for knowledge.

Her parents got her a pet hamster as a gift for doing so well. She didn't understand the point, but grew a friendship with her pet nonetheless. The maids were happy to see her talking to her pet, as if it was a real friend. They thought that maybe, just maybe, Marigold would be okay.

Slowly, studying no longer kept her mind off of things. She didn't see the point, but she made sure her parents didn't know.

Everyday until Marigold moved back to America after her parents work in Japan was done, she saw Yui outside sitting on a bench, reading or talking to friends. She learned that Yui lived at the church. Marigold thought it made sense for someone like her.

Instead of going to church, Marigold would sneak into her parents wine cabinet and hide out in her room, keeping the curtains drawn. The bottles had names that Marigold could never pronounce, but it didn't matter. Wine was wine, and it felt so good going down her throat. It was like velvet. It made her body warm and it made her smile.

The maids pretended like they didn't know.

When Marigold went to highschool, she rarely actually went. She had a boyfriend who she never saw. She had friends over for parties she forgot she was hosting. Her parents put her on medication that she never took. She preferred to use her dads car as therapy. Driving as fast as she could down highways. Crying when pulled over so she never got a ticket.

Her body grew into something average and boring. Nothing too big, nothing too small. Her eyes were like her mother's, a light blue that was almost grey. She assumes that she got her hair color from her dad, as it was just as black as his.

Every night when she snuck out, She took an extra shot of Vodka for Yui. Because she's yet to see a smile as bright as hers. She must be some sort of holy being in Marigolds eyes.

It would burn. Make her eyes water. But make her feel warm. Marigold thought that vodka must be what having a _real_ friend was like. She would smile to herself before asking the bartender for another.

Today, she's a junior in highschool. "Mari," A gruff voice barked from the other side of the door to her room. Marigold sat at the edge of her bed, running a hand through her hair. With a sigh, she got up and walked to the door. Her tiny hands ghosting over the knob, only for the man on the other side to open the door first.

"Mari," He said again. Marigold looked at him up and down. His black hair thinning, skin sagging, bags under his eyes growing, the holes in his belt running out-she knew who he was.

"Dad," She responded. Her voice has grown much deeper then when she was a kid, sometimes she doesn't even recognize it's her voice. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

" _Your mother and I are going on another business trip next week, and we thought it would be better if you weren't alone in the house."_ He said. Marigold always found it annoying when her dad refused to speak english. She knew it was because he was tired and probably didn't notice, but she still hated it.

" _Alright."_

He raised an eyebrow, expecting some sort of resistance. But he received none. He coughed in his hand, to give him some time to figure out what to say and diffuses the awkward situation that he always finds himself in when he speaks to his daughter. " _Our summer home in Japan is next to the church I went to when I was younger. I reached out to the priest there and I convinced him to have you accompany his daughter Yui, to a relative's house."_

" _You could have just had be stay at auntie's, it seems a lot easier._ " Marigold said, "But alright. I'll start packing now so I'm ready. How long will you be gone?"

" _A little over a month,_ " Her father said. " _Now, be on your best behavior, okay?"_

" _Of course dad."_

The two stood there for a minute, not saying anything. Marigold seemed fine with eye contact, while her father tried his best to look everywhere but at her. Marigold took it upon herself to close the door. Marigold knew that her auntie found out about her stealing her fancy wine. Her auntie never really liked her, but Marigold just had to make everything worse.

Her parents left two days early, leaving Marigold alone with the maids and her hamster again. When she woke up in the morning, she immediately checked on her hamster, as always. Her hamster was old now, and by all means should have died years ago. But somehow, it stayed alive. However, instead of hearing her little hamster burrowing down, she heard nothing. The little squeaks he always made when Marigold picked him up where gone. Instead it's eyes were wide open, and body still.

For once, Marigold let out the audible sob. A maid came in to clean her room to find Marigold crying over a dead hamster in her hands.

Two hours before she was about to leave the same day, she sat in the shower. The was water too hot, leaving her skin bright red. She looked at her hands with eyes glazed over. Her hamster is now buried in the backyard, as well as her only friend.

She stared at every wrinkle or scar. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours of her staring at her hands. The skin on her back starting to blister. It wasn't until a maid came in concerned was the water turned off and Marigold was pulled out of the shower. The maids took care of her like a doll, feeling pity for her.

Marigold didn't think that she would be so broken up about this.

They dressed her and gave her xanax before handing her her bags and pushing her out the door. A taxi drove her to the airport, where she was left to fend for herself to get to her plane on time. She thought about just...not going. But she didn't want to suffer the consequences of that. For once she decides to trust her dad's decision.

She sat in first class and was able to get the old man across from her to buy her a drink. A teen flirting with an old man is not a scene anyone wants to see, but Marigold didn't even realise what she was doing until he offered to fly her out to his house later after she was done with her trip. She declined.

The trip to Japan was long, but she was used to it. Her father insisted on Marigold's japanese being as fluent as he's, and what would be better then fully immersing her in the culture every summer? Marigold is aware most would kill to go to Japan, but she didn't see the appeal.

She rubbed her eyes as she waited for her luggage to come out on the conveyor belt. Her hair was thrown in the laziest of pony tails, where most of the hair wasn't even in the scrunchie. She stumbled out of the airport, the xanax finally wearing off and the busy haste of all the other forced her to snap into reality.

She got in the limo and sat across from Yui. But she was so tired that she didn't even realise that someone else was in the car. Slow jazz played from the front of the limo, calming her heart. She took in a deep breath, and let out a loud sigh.

" _...Marigold?"_ A soft voice spoke. Hearing her name with a thick accent attached, it felt like cotton balls against Marigolds ears. Marigold slowly blinked at short blonde girl with pink eyes. A face innocent and real. When Marigold nodded, the blonde girl smiled. " _I knew it was you, I remember when you gave me that pink ball when we were younger. I still have it actually! Well, not with me. Back at the church."_

Marigold didn't know what to say, she stared at Yui with a blank face _."Oh gosh, you probably don't remember me, sorry!"_ Marigold definitely remembered her, but struggle to think for a moment. " _I'm Yui. We-"_

" _I remember. Sorry, I just woke up. Haven't had any coffee yet, you feel?"_ Marigold felt a lump in her throat after she spoke. The corners of her lips twitching, trying her best to look friendly. Yui smiled at her.

" _Feel free to take a nap. You look tired-No offense!"_ Yui said. Marigold let out a small sheepish chuckle before leaning back. Staring at the ceiling of the limo with a sigh. Jet lag truly was a horrible thing.

" _Hey,"_ Marigold said breathlessly as her eyes went out of focus, she closed them to prevent her getting nauseous. " _Still want to be friends? You're going to have to deal with me alot during my stay."_

She thinks she must sound like a creep. Instead of being told that she was weird though. Yui smiled. " _I would love that._ " Marigold wondered if something made Yui so nice, or if she was born with it.

" _...Cool."_ Marigold said. " _You can just call me Mari, by the way. You know any English?"_

" _N-not really. Are you fluent in Japanese?"_ Yui asked. Marigold inwardly sighed instead.

" _Yeah, I am."_ She said, " _By the time I'm done with you though, you'll be fluent in English. It's easier."_

" _T-Thank you!"_

" _No problemo"_ Marigold said, slowly sliding more and more in her seat. " _Now if you don't mind me, I'm just going to pass out."_ Marigold just heard a giggle from Yui before she fell out of consciousness and into the realm of dreams.

When Marigold awoke, she struggled to open her eyes; the limo was dark and quiet. The jazz that had been playing early was turned down to a slight hum, while outside the window the clouds loomed over her like a ghost, threatening to start raining at any moment. Yui seem wide away though, reading. Marigold sat up slightly with a groan, her bones aching as she did. She twisted and stretched her neck as she took in a deep breath.

" _Oh! You're up, did you sleep well?"_ Yui asked, a smile dusting over her lips. She spoke as if she was her mom and Marigold was a child.

" _Just dandy. Are we almost there?"_ Marigold asked as she scratched her back. Yui only looked at her phone to check the time.

" _Almost," She said, "We have a couple more minutes though."_ Yui put her phone back in her pocket and looked at Marigold. She wasn't afraid to look Mari in the eyes. Still seeing her as a kid who gave her a pink ball when they were younger. " _So what have you been doing in America?"_

Marigold struggled to find the right answer. Something that would be respectable, something that wouldn't make Yui hate her. " _Nothing much, just focusing on my studies."_ A

Yui nodded, " _You must be very smart!"_

" _I'm average."_

" _Ahah, I doubt that."_

Mari didn't bother to answer. Instead, she pulled out her own phone and looked at the time before glancing back at the window. Watching the heavy clouds. She always preferred rainy weather, it makes the pollen count go down and creates the perfect ambient noise to stare at the ceiling and contemplate life.

That sounds really pretentious because it is, by the way.

" _This is you girl's stop."_ A gruff voice barked through a cough, startling Yui and Mari. Marigold ran a hand through her hair and struggled up and out of the limo. Yui didn't have to struggle at all. They both got their luggage out of the trunk, and before they could do anything else, the limo speed off.

" _Well, let's not wait around."_ Marigold muttered, shoving one free hand in her pant pocket while the other one dragged along her suitcase. Yui hummed in agreement while Marigold started walking past the gate and fountain. She wasn't impressed at all at the structure of the home. She saw better.

However, as she got to the door, she noticed that Yui was still at the fountain, sizing up the house in awe. " _Let's go, it's about to ran."_ Mari spoke out.

That snapped Yui out of it as she quickly speed walked to Marigold. As Mari knocked on the door, she could feel a sense of unease fall upon her. She was quick to brush it off, blaming it on her sobering up.

A minute passed of no one opening the door, and the rain was finally falling now. Patience growing thin, she opened the door herself, not caring about being polite. " _Mari!"_ Yui scolded, but Mari simply shrugged.

" _If you want to stand around in the rain, go for it."_

She didn't get a response, but Yui was still walking behind her. The corner of Marigold's lip twitched upwards. It was kind of funny. The vibe of the house was instant. It was light a physical weight was put on Marigolds shoulders. It was dark, eerie, and just creepy. She wondered if she was actually supposed to be here. As she put down her bag, she looked left as right, surveying the house.

It overall looked as if it was from the victorian era, it was dated and dull. She furrowed her eyebrows as she looked around. Something was wrong here, but she couldn't figure out what.

"... _Mari!"_ Yui called over Marigold. Mari turned around to see her over a boy on the couch. His chest wasn't rising or falling.

" _Is he dead? Shit we gotta go. We do not want to be around a dead body-"_ But before Mari could finish, Yui already had her phone out, ready to call an ambulance. However, her pink phone was snatched from her hand in an instant.

The boy sat up, yawning as he did so. " _So nosy,_ " He complained. Within a second, he had her pinned down on the couch. His hands held her wrists like a hand cuff. " _You aren't really my type, but you'll do just fine."_

When he spoke, it was more as if he was talking to himself and not to Yui. " _Woah, woah. Dude, can you...not?"_

When Marigold spoke, she spoke directly at him. Even though her words where causal, her glare and tone were not. The boy didn't seem to notice her at first, but once she spoke she had his full attention.

" _Oi, don't speak to yours truly like that. If you want my attention so badly, then you have it."_ He had a predatory smirk on his face. He looked at Marigold up and down. Marigold simply frowned at this and crossed her arms. She had boys look at her in a similar way before, but not in the way he was looking at her.

He looked at her as if he really did want to eat her up. Not even metaphorically.

" _But pancake here did rudely wake yours truly up, I think she should pay the price."_ He chuckled before ducking his head down to Yui's neck, licking slowly upwards. Marigold took a step back, wondering if this was really happening. Honestly, she didn't know what to do.

" _Ayato, please refrain from such activities in the common room."_ A more stern, possessional voice arose from behind Marigold. Marigold raised an eyebrow, was this a common occurrence? She turned around to face the voice, and was slightly taken back. He was...tall. And intimidating, to say the least.

" _Huh, hey!"_ Yui broke away from Ayato's grasp and ran over besides Marigold.

" _Mari, let's go!"_ Yuis voice sounded terrified, and Mari struggled to make decisions under stress. However, looking at Yui forced her to make a haste decision.

" _Huh, yeah girl, got it."_ Marigold instinctively said without thinking. Grabbing Yui's suitcase that was already close by. She looked over at Reiji, " _Sorry for introducing. We were told that this girl's relatives lived here. If you would like to complain, this is my father's number-"_

" _Please wait a moment. I would rather this be cleared up now."_ The taller man said." _Introduce yourselves_ ,"

Marigold raised an eyebrow. Demanding someone to introduce themselves without even saying who _they_ are is kind of rude, but she isn't one to judge. " _I'm Marigold Oleander, and if you don't mind, I'll be speaking for my friend, Yui Komori. She's currently a bit shaken up, understandably."_ Marigold spoke in a tone her father taught her. Not too rude, but not to polite either. The typical business tone. " _While my parents are on a business trip, I was sent to accompany Yui during her stay at her relative's house, which we were told, was this house."_

" _Ayato, do you know about this?"_ The taller man asked the redhead, who was still sitting lazily on the couch. He was glaring at Yui the whole time, Marigold only noticed now.

" _How should I know? Pancake said nothing of the sort"_ He sneered.

" _That's because you attacked me out of nowhere!"_ Yui complained, earning a scoff from the boy.

" _This seems to be a bit messier than I originally thought, please, follow me into the living room where we can discuss this more."_ The taller man said. Marigold suppressed a sigh.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Mari was used to feeling like people were watching her. Constant paranoia mixed with insufferable anxiety was the type of life she was used too. However, now that the Xanax has worn off, she's more sober than ever, and is in house you would see in a horror film, she thinks she lost her mind. Every breath she takes she feels as if it's louder than a drum, but years of pushing it down has done her good. As Yui thinks that Marigold is completely fine.

The short blonde holds on to her arm, whether it be subconsciously or not. Marigold doesn't bother her about it even though physical contact has always put her on edge. Marigold is for once, trying to come up with a plan. A bad feeling is bubbling up in her chest, and it isn't random anxiety this time. She has a reason to feel what she's feeling.

" _Please, have a seat."_ The taller man says, but it sounded more like a command. Nonetheless, Yui and Marigold do as such. Sitting next to each other on a couch too fancy and pretentious for even the richest of the rich. Marigold held back a sneer.

Before she could voice her complaint, a new voice spoke from behind her. " _Is it true? Is there really two little human girls here?"_ Marigold turned her head, looking up to the stair wall railing too see another boy, similar to the red head that assaulted Yui earlier. The corners of his lips were upturned, looking down at the two, briefly making eye contact with Marigold before focusing on Yui.

Marigold barely even took a breath before realising that someone was directly behind her. Her eyes widened as she realised that the boy upstairs was now gone, and instead licking the cheek of Yui. " _Ah, you smell so sweet,_ " The boy murmured.

Marigold quickly came to the conclusion that moments like these are why she doesn't stay sober.

Another boy who was shorter and more child-like was on the other side of Yui, saying something that Marigold didn't quite catch, before he also tried to lick Yui. This time, however, Marigold was quick to grab Yui's arm to pull her away from the boy, landing Yui nearly in Marigold lap. " _If we could figure out why we were given the wrong address, I would greatly appreciate it."_ Marigold said with venom dripping off her voice, glancing at Reiji as she spoke.

" _Laito, Kanato, please control yourselves. Mrs. Oleander,-"_

" _Oi, who woke me up?!"_ A gruff, sharp voice growled, cutting Reiji off. The two girls wondered if they're ever going to make any progress. Next to the wall, a boy with white hair was fuming.

" _Where did you come from?"_ Yui asked, bewildered. Really, can everyone here teleport?

" _My questions first!"_ He yelled, slamming his fist through the wall. Marigold let out an audible sigh.

She looked back at Reiji, giving him the 'are you shitting me right now' look. Reiji's look told her that they were not, indeed, shitting her right now.

" _Shu, do you know anything of this?"_ Reiji spoke with as much discipline as he could muster after dealing with everyone. From behind him, a boy was pounding on the couch. Marigold and Yui didn't even notice him.

The boy slowly sat up, glancing at the two girls through the corner of his eyes. " _Huh? ...Yeah. That man called. He said we'd be receiving two guests and to treat them with respect."_

A moment of silence passed, before the loudest redhead spoke. "Are you telling me that pancake here and what-her-name are the prospective brides?"

"Oh, is that all?" Kanato spoke, this time loud enough for Marigold to hear. His voice was kind of nice.

"More like a sacrifice then a bride." Laito mused to himself.

Shu spoke once again, more tired than the last, " _Oh...right, he mentioned not to kill them either."_ He said, " _Also, we can't drink from the taller girl, her name is Marigold or something. She's only temporary"_

" _Huh? They sent us a bride we can't even use?"_ Kanato complained.

" _Nfufu, that means we're going to have a very loooong relationship with Bitch-chan, and savor our time with...hm...what should I call her?"_

" _Tch, how about useless?"_ Ayato muttered.

" _Useless-chan? It doesn't really have a ring too it, Ayato"_

" _Uhm...What do you mean by drink?" Yui questioned, scooting even closer to Marigold._

" _Huh, do you really not know by now? We're vampires."_ Ayato deadpanned. Silence once again filled the room.

" _...You're joking, right?"_ Marigold asked. " _Jesus christ this is so stupid."_


	2. Chapter 2: Beekeeper

**Cause I'm just getting started, let me offend**

 **The devil's got nothing on me my friend**

 **All I want is to be left alone**

 **Tact from me is like blood from a stone**

 **-Beekeeper, Keaton Henson**

* * *

 **If you could leave a review, it would be greatly appreciated!**

* * *

The first night in the mansion was not a glamorous one by any means. Shortly after revealing they were vampires, Yui ran off deep into the mansion where Marigold could not follow. Marigold stood awkwardly in the living room with the remaining vampires that didn't go after her friend. Subaru, Shu, and Reiji.

She was glad that they weren't much for talking. Reiji merely told her where her room was and to get ready for school in four hours before he and his brothers disappeared. The room was decorated with deep reds and muted yellows, making it easy on her eyes. The first thing she did was fall on the bed face first with a deep sigh. She shuffled around to get her hand in her jacket pocket, finding her tiny liquor bottle she got from the airport. She's going to need a lot more to get through this hell hole though.

She was slightly thankful for night school though, it was the best way to fight off her jet lag. But god, she wanted nothing more than to sleep. She pulled herself away from the bed and stripped her clothing off while she walked to the bathroom connected to her room. A trail of clothing was left behind her.

She stepped into the shower and turned the water on. Letting ice cold water fall down on her while she stared at her toes, slowly turning purple. She didn't know why she wasn't freaking out like Yui right now. Maybe she cried all she could yesterday morning. She bit her lip as thoughts of her hamster came back to mind. It was appropriate that he died, she now thinks. This was only sign for her to grow up for real. Her legs start to shake and but tears don't fall this time.

She runs her hands through her hair, slicking it back and letting the cool waterfall directly on her face. She remembers her mom telling her that cool water calmed down inflammation and redness. She probably still looked like shit from the plane ride and all the stress.

She might as well look like for her first day of school. She turns off the water and grabbed a towel as she stepped out. She should start getting ready now. God knows that she needs to re do her makeup.

She worked her hands with steady precision. That little bottle of liquor did her good, as all she felt was _warm._ The anxieties she felt were slowly fading as she focused on making herself pretty. She held her foundation in one hand and her brush in the other. She's gotten good at making herself look alive. She reminds herself to thank her maids for putting her makeup on for her before she got on the plane.

Snapping her out of her focus was a 'caw' from outside her bathroom door. She raised an eyebrow and put down her make up brush. When she opened her bathroom door, she saw that the window in her room was wide open, sending a cold breeze through the room. She shivered and walked over to go close it, however as she was about too a small crow landed on the windowsill. Marigold staggered back a, surprised at how close the bird was to her. However despite her sudden movement, the bird didn't move. It flapped its wings a little, getting comfortable, but not leaving.

Marigold went to her suit case, finding a small bag of nuts she got on the plane. She put a few on her hand and then went back to the bird, showing him the food. The bird poked its head around before slightly flapping it's wings again, slowly landing on her hand to take the food. After eating the few nuts, Marigold felt as if the bird was looking at her. Then, it flew off her hand again and through the window.

Well, that was weird.

Marigold let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding and dusted off her uniform. She heard a knock on her door, startling her again. She inwardly cursed herself for being so jumpy. " _Yes? Come in."_ She said. The door slowly opened and relieved Yui. She looked pale and visibly uncomfortable in the uniform she was given. " _Yui, you okay? Wait, that's a dumb question"_

" _I could be worse,"_ Yui said, " _Did any of them attack you?"_ Yui closed the door behind her and spoke to Mari in a whisper. Marigold put her hand on Yui's shoulder, that's what people do to calm others down, right?

" _No, not at all. I think their going to be ignoring me for the most part."_ Mari said, " _But what matters is what happened to you."_

" _I...I don't want to think about it."_ Yui said, Marigold nodded in response, seeing no sense in pushing the subject.

" _That's alright,"_ Marigold said, " _Let's head down stairs. School is starting soon. At least you'll be safer there."_

" _I hope you're right."_

* * *

The limo ride was...weird, to say the least. The boys seemed to completely ignore her, which was fine. Though Marigold couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She stared at her hands in her lap, lost in thought.

When Reiji gave Yui cranberry juice, she cringed. The idea of being treated like a blood bag was...inhuman. What else did they expect though? To be treated as equals. No, Marigold knew that that wasn't ever going to be the case.

" _Furthermore..."_

Marigold didn't even raise her head while Reiji was talking to Yui. How was she going to get her liquor in this situation? Her tiny thing of Vodka was only going to last for so long. She knew how her mind worked to, if she stopped drinking, she would switch to something else.

Soon, the limo came to a stop. Everyone shuffled out of the car, while she waited to leave last. There seemed to be a crowd around the car, Marigold assumes that the vampires are popular at school. It doesn't surprise her. The boys aren't really ugly or anything.

Marigold managed to stay out of the main focus for a little bit. Everyone was focused on Yui. Who wouldn't? She came to school in a limo with a bunch of attractive guys. Ignoring how out of place Yui normally looks, blonde hair and pink eyes in Japan? Marigold didn't even think she was Japanese when she first saw her.

The crowd parted for Marigold when she eventually walked though. The vibe she was giving off wasn't very friendly. But nonetheless, she went to class.

She struggled to find her class, as every hallways looked the same and she was getting dizzery by the moment. She considered swallowing her pride and asking for help, but the chance left before she could even act on it.

" _Aw, is useless-chan lost?"_ A familiar voice purred from behind her. She raised an eyebrow but looked ahead, not bothering to give him a glance.

" _Maybe."_ She said, " _If I ask for help will I regret it?"_

Laito felt a tug at his lips, a daring smirk appearing on his face. " _Ah...Regret? Nfufu, it depends on how you look at it."_ He said, walking closer to her. " _I'll give you a hint though-"_

" _Oh, here it is."_ Marigold stoped him. Right behind Laito was the door to class. " _If you could move, that would be cool."_

" _Hm? Useless-chan is in Shus class? How unfortunate."_ He said,

" _What? Yeah, whatever."_ She muttered and walked passed him, walking directly to the teacher near the front of the room. She could feel Laito staring at her while she talked to the teacher, but she tried her best to act as if it wasn't bothering her.

" _Would you like to introduce yourself to the class?"_ The teacher asked her. The teacher was in her mid to late forties, her greying hair pulled up into a bun. Tired eyes and growing wrinkles covered her face.

" _I would rather not"_

No one really noticed Marigolds presence in the classroom. She mindlessly took notes while her stared at a crow sitting on a tree branch from her window. She felt as if the bird was trying to tell her something. She brushed off the thought, that would just be stupid. The teacher never really called on her, thank god.

She noticed that Shu wasn't anywhere in the classroom though, there was one empty seat where she assumed that Shu was supposed to be. Was he skipping? Well, that's not too surprising considering what she already saw of him. She would rather be in this class then Reijis.

She chewed her bottom lip and stared at the crow on the branch outside until the 'lunch' bell rang. It wasn't really for lunch, it was more of just a snack break. Considering it's two a.m., lunch isn't really on anyone's mind.

Marigold grabbed her bag and all of her belongings to search out a place to hide out for the rest of the day. She doesn't feel like going back to class after break is done.

She navigated the hallways with easy, most people getting out of her way without her even sparing them a glance. She is thankful for her resting bitch face at times like these. She found it easy to find the staircase to the roof. There was one group of girls on the there, but that was it. She could hear their mindless chatter and gossip easily from where she was sitting. But they didn't seem to notice her.

The caw of crows grew. The trees that she could see seemed to be filled with crows. Is that normal here? Marigold let out a deep breath and leaned her head back on the wall, letting her eyes flutter closed. Her knees weak, she slid down wall until she finally sat on the ground. Slowly, her mind starting drifting until her breathing slowed and heartbeat calmed down.

"...Oi"

A rough voice made her eyes open. She let out a yawn as she sat up, how long was she asleep for? She didn't know if it was just a few seconds or a few hours. Her eyes slowly came back into focus and she saw the source of the voice. Shit, what was his name? He's the one with the white hair and punches walls? "... _Subaru?"_ Marigold asked.

" _Tch, shut up."_ Wow, rude. " _School is ending in a couple of minutes. Don't be late to the car, Reiji will give you hell for it."_

" _Psh, he really is a hard ass, isn't he? Thanks."_ She said. She looked at the vampire again. He was leaning against the railing, looking everywhere but at her. " _So..."_

" _You need to leave."_ He cut her off. She raised an eyebrow.

" _...You said I had a couple of minutes?"_

" _I'm not talking about the car, idiot. I'm telling you that you need to run from Japan while everyone is still focused on Yui."_ He barked at her, clicking his tongue. She tilted her head and stood up, taking a step closer to him to hear him better. " _Eventually one of us will kill you, even if we're not supposed to."_

" _You act as if you don't have self control"_ She said nonchalantly.

" _We don't!" He replied immediately with a sudden burst of anger. He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh, she just wasn't getting it. "We've had sacrifices like you before. Sometimes we had to keep them around a bit longer then others. And girls like you? They always crash and burn."_

Marigold pressed her lips together, not knowing what to do with that information. "... _Why do you care?"_

A second passed. Subarus eyes widened and he clenched his fist, "... _!"_ She could hear a small growl stuck in his throat. Within a second, he had her by the throat, slammed against the wall. Her feet dangled in the air while her hands tried to move his to no avail.

" _This is what will happen,"_ He snarled, close to her ear. " _You'll say something stupid like you just did, and pay the consequences. Each time will be worse than the last. With your shitty personality you won't know when to shut up, making it worse. Then, we'll get carried away and kill you. It won't be a pretty death. You'll be screaming in pain, you'll be trying to cling to death like a worm, all for nothing."_

With that, he let go of her. Letting her body fall to the ground. She was on her knees, holding her neck from pain. Her lungs were burning and she was light headed. Heaving heavily for air. He looked down at her, hair was clinging to her face. " _...Don't be late to leave."_

With that, he was gone. Tears threaten to fall from Marigolds eyes, but they refused to fall. She just _hurt._ She held onto her neck, wondering if that really happened.

A caw from a bird caught her attention as she snapped her head up, still holding her sore neck. A crow was landing right in front of her, with a hair pin in its mouth. It was silver and old. Marigold hesitantly put her hand out, and the crow dropped it in her hand. She felt a tug at her lips, almost forming a smile.

"Aw, thanks little dude." She spoke in default English. With one hand, she pulled a few strands from the front of her head back and pinned them with the new gift. "It's awesome."

It chirped in response, then flew away. Marigold struggled up and slung her bag over her shoulder. She let out a breath, and started walking.

* * *

 **Plot is going to happen a lot next chapter. But...I know it's early the story, but who do you want Marigold to end up with?**


	3. Chapter 3: Artificial Nocturne

**Please leave a review! It really means a lot**

* * *

 **Got false lights for the sun**  
 **It's an artificial nocturne**  
 **An outsider's escape from a broken heart**

* * *

Marigold was plagued with nightmares when she got home. When she woke up, she didn't remember what she dreamt of, but remembered the fear that overtook her body. Her body was drenched in a cold sweat while she stared at the ceiling, eyes wide and out of breath. The curtains were drawn in her room, the deep red curtains preventing any light to come in. She was reminded that she was alone, as the room seemed to get bigger and bigger while she was forced to spend time with her thoughts.

The room began to slowly spin, as the fear that struck her didn't budge. Her breaths were loud, she tried to keep a steady pace. She took a gulp that felt harsh against her throat and clenched her eyes closed, trying to focus on just one thing. But everything started to rush at once, every thought and feeling from the past 24 just now hitting her like a wave. Things started to spin faster, and it became a fight to breath. She lied on her back as her fists bundled together the blankets, as if she was trying to hold on for her life.

" _Caw, Caw,"_

In an instant, Marigolds eyes snapped open. Shifting her gaze to the window as the world around her stopped spinning. A pecking was heard at the window, covered by the curtains. Letting out a breath, she swung her legs over the bed. Her bare feet fell on the hard wood floors like an iceberg, letting out an involuntary shiver as she did so. She cautiously walked over to the windows, slowly moving the curtains.

She squinted her eyes at the sudden light, then gazed down at the suspect of the noise. It was a crow again. She felt a tug at her lips, but she new better not to smile just yet. She turned back around to get a few nuts she still had left in her bag before coming back to the window where she found the crow still waiting. She opened the window just enough to have the crow come in. It flapped its wings a little, but instead just used its little legs to walk in, past the window. Marigold lowered her hand down, so the crow could keep walking into her hand. It did as so, and Marigold slowly raised her hand up to her eye level with the crow eating away.

Then, she let a small smile come through. "What's up little guy?" She almost whispered. But then she furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at the crow a little more. Something about him was...off.

" _What are you looking at, eh?"_ She heard a voice say, making her jump back with a gasp. The bird quickly started flapping its wings and moved to the nightstand.

"Who was that?" She questioned. No one else was in her room., but there was no answer. She let out a sigh and rested her head in her hands. She peered at the crow on her night stand, as the only sound that rested over the mansion was Yui's protests in the room next to hers.

Marigold looked at the crow. It almost seemed like the crow knew what was going on in this place better than she did. Both of them wanted to act like nothing was wrong, when that just wasn't the case. She sat down on the bed, across from the crow. "How long have you been here then? Are you used to this?" She asked the crow in a dull tone. The bird only caw and bounced over to the edge of the night stand. "Pft, what am I doing? Talking to a bird and hearing voices? Am I that lonely?"

She no longer heard Yui from the other room.

She didn't know if that was better or worse than before.

Marigold fell back on her bed, staring at the ceiling once again. Ready to close her eyes once again. Her heart beat began to slow, but a sharp 'crash', was heard from inside her bathroom, causing her eyes to snap back open. She inwardly groaned and pushed herself to sit upright again, her bare feet hitting the cold floor once again as she forced herself to check what happened.

When she opened the door, two more crows were flying in the room. She perked an eyebrow at the sight, how did they get in? There was no window in the bathroom, and she closed the door earlier. On the counter, all her belongs where scattered around. Towels where on the floor, the shower curtain was ripped, and in general, it was a mess.

Marigold stood in the doorway, no really knowing what to do. "Oh fuck me..." She muttered at the sight. If one of the brothers found out, they'd probably want to do some sort of weird punishment.

Without notice though, Yui came bursting in her room. Marigold turn around in a split second and looked at Yui, face to face to a girl with fear on her face, blood spilling down her neck, and tears flooding her eyes. "...!"

" _Mari, please, you have to hide me!"_ She begged her in a whisper. Adrenaline suddenly started to rush through Marigold veins. Hiding her...? That's impossible, they'd be able to find her immediately. However, not knowing what to do, she grabbed Yui by the arm and pulled her into the bathroom after hearing Ayato in the hallway.

She pulled Yui down behind the counter and closed the bathroom door. " _Honestly Yui, I don't know what I can do."_

" _I..I don't know what you can do either. I'm so sorry, I-I'm so-"_ Yui began to sob. Marigold had no idea what happened to Yui in detail, she didn't really realise what the Vampires were actually capable of doing. But she couldn't bare to see a girl whom she idolized her whole life, and only remembered her for her smiling face as a child, to be a crying bleeding mess in front of her.

Taking a gulp, she stood up and left the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She heard her bedroom door open. Inhale. Exhale.

" _..Oi! Pancake, how dare you try to run from yours truly."_ Ayato was looking straight at Marigold as he stood in the doorway. Their eyes met, and neither of them dared to look away. For some reason, he was smirking at her. " _Eh? What's with the sudden confidence? Where's what's her name anyways?"_

What? Marigold was right in front of him. Why did he call her pancake? She raised an eyebrow, but then felt a warm liquid drip on her neck. She looked through the corners of her eyes to her side, and was caught by blonde hair. Wait...

What...

" _Eh? Are you going to answer yours truly?"_ Ayato demanded.

" _...W-what's her name is called Marigold."_ Marigold spoke with a different voice then she was used to hearing. Her heart was beating at an insane rate. " _My name isn't pancake, either. It's Yui."_

Ayato raised an eyebrow, but then clicked his tongue. " _Don't talk back to me, or else you'll regret it."_

Marigold thought she was going insane.

" _Caw, caw!"_ Two more birds flew in from the window, gathering around Marigold in her current state of...Yui. There had to be a better word for this situation. But Marigold figures that out of all the things that require her attention, coming up with a cool word wasn't one of them. Because right now, she was seeing through a pair of bright pink eyes.

" _What the hell? Why are there so many birds in what's her name's room anyways?"_ Ayato took a step back with visible disgust on his face. " _Fucking hell, I knew that girl was weird"_ He grumbled before rolling his eyes. Walking over to Marigold in anger, he grabbed her arm and began to drag her out of her room. She tripped and stumbled as she was dragged. " _Don't run from yours truely like that again. It's annoying."_

In the bathroom, the real Yui sat on the ground. The two crows where on the other side of the bathroom, not moving an inch. She heard the whole ordeal from the other side of the door. What did Marigold do to make Ayato think she was her?

Better yet, what was he going to do to her?

* * *

 **I make all that I believe**  
 **I set myself free**  
 **So take all the time you need**  
 **And let yourself be**

* * *

A spider bite will hurt, but the pain will fade. A dog bite will hurt, but it isn't the dogs fault. A mosquito bite will sting, but you never notice will it happens. A vampire bite will hurt, and the pain will not fade. A vampire bite is the vampires fault. A vampire bite will sting and you will notice it when it happens.

When Ayato threw Marigold in his room, she hit the wall like a bag of sand. He was strong as hell. When he grabbed her wrists it felt like hot steel burning into her skin. When his breath was against her skin, it felt like a burning fire. When she felt his lips against her neck, it was like a corpse deteriorating on her own skin.

His bite was much worse than his bark.

He began to bite her skin over and over, not even drinking. " _This is what happens when you run when yours truly is talking to you"_ He growled. Marigold didn't respond. Not knowing how. The pain she was feeling reminded her of her first drink. Straight up vodka. It burned her throat like hell, but she kept taking shots no matter what.

His body was towering over her smaller one. He held the small of her back with one hand as she became too weak to fight back. His other one was still holding one of her wrists. She could smell his cologne mixed with her blood. Her head began to throb with pain, making it hard for her to hold her head up.

" _Don't pass out now pancake, I've only just started._ " He mocked her, licking at the fresh wound on her neck. He began to claw away at her uniform, pulling down her shirt to give him more places to bite. " _I'll be your first everything. You should be honored."_

She felt weird acting as Yui. But this was one way to protect her, she guessed. She didn't know how to conduct herself though. It felt weird, being a girl who had such faith in her church and in others. To be honest, it was weird being any girl other than herself. Her skin felt hot, and the blood trailing down her neck was sticky. " _You must be very lonely, to seek attention out this way."_ Marigold said, even though the words she said where harsh, she said them in a tone only Yui could use.

She heard a growl in his throat, but then a small dark chuckle that sent vibrations in her body, " _Hah, where did that sass come from? It looks good on you, pancake. Maybe you're not as boring as I thought." He said, "It only make me want to-"_

" _Ayato."_ A stern voice spoke from beyond his door. She heard Ayato click his tongue and let go of her, letting her fall to the floor. " _I must remind you not to kill the girl. After hearing the commotion earlier I saw it only fit to check in."_

It was Reiji, Marigold realised. " _Damn four eyes, I wasn't going to kill her-"_ He grumbled as he opened his door. Reiji seemed unimpressed.

" _I could smell her blood from the other side of the mansion. Not mention the trail of blood in the hallway"_ He spoke coldly, glancing at her before looking back at his brother. " _Please take her back to her room and leave her for the rest of the day. It's simply too early for you to be acting this way."_

Marigold place a hand on the wall, pulling herself upwards. " _I can get back to my room by myself. Thanks."_ She spoke with what sounded like the smallest amount of venom in her voice. " _Sorry for the_ _ **trouble."**_

She managed to stand up straight, and with what pride Yui would have left, she walked past the two vampires and went to Marigolds, her, room. When she got there, she slide down the side of the door, hearing it click as she did. She let out a hard breath.

She heard the bathroom door creak open.

" _Mari...?"_ Yui asked warily as she left the bathroom, the crows also leaving as she did. She sat next to Marigold, her hand ghosting over wounds that already began to heal. " _What..how did you..?"_

Marigold looked at her hands, that were now once again her own. These were the hands she lived her life with, buried her hamster with, made her shitty decisions with, but a few minutes ago, those hands were gone.

Now, more than ever, Marigold didn't have a fucking clue of who she was.

* * *

 **I'm as far gone as they say**  
 **I can't fake the daytime**  
 **Found an entrance to escape into the dark**


	4. Chapter 4: Child I will Hurt You

**Please Leave a review! Also, let me know who you want Marigold to end up with ;0**

* * *

 _Keep them locked away_

 _Reduce them to strays_

 _Clean their cuts and scrapes_

 _Mercy we abstain_

 _Hope you're entertained_

 _Snow covers the stain_

 _-Child I Will Hurt You by Crystal Castles_

* * *

In the reflection of a mirror, it showed a girl who lacked any color in her face, eyes that seemed tired, and dry, cracked lips. No matter how many times she twisted and turned her face, it was still her. After the events of yesterday evening she was left questioning her own reality. It's been two hours of her looking at herself, alone in the bathroom. Not even the crows have been bothering her, let alone Yui.

She thought if she looked in the mirror anymore, that it might just crack. Or maybe, her reflection would reach out and pull her into the otherworld. Or that a ghost would write a message on it, showing her all the reasons why what happened happened. Or even...that the reflection would once again change, showing her that what happened actually happened. That she isn't going crazy.

Marigold let out a sigh, breaking her own eye contact. This isn't normal. This isn't right. This isn't how things were supposed to be. This feeling, this emptiness and loneliness is why she drank. The questions were overflowing and she couldn't make them stop. She just wanted them to stop. She just wanted to know who she was. But her reflection isn't even telling her the truth anymore. She rubbed her face in her hands and let out a breath. She needs to get a handle on this. She can't be so _pathetic._ She stood up and stretched, closing her eyes once more to calm down. She might as well check on Yui.

Before opening her bedroom door to venture out in the rest of the mansion to find Yui, she glanced at her open mirror once more. The moon taunted her from high in the sky, no birds were seen or wind heard. She lowered her gaze with a sigh and left her room. If she remembered right, then Yui's room is four doors down to the left.

As she walked, she noticed how there were little to no pictures on the wall. It was odd, after all the mansions she's seen that are this old, they're usually littered with pictures of great great relatives. The history behind each room was on the walls, it would make you wonder what went on while the home has been built. However it's as if no one even lived here. Any secrets that lie here are covered well, and have no chance of being realved.

She walked closed to the wall, dragging her hand lightly on it. Counting each door she passed. _Three, four...and_ there was the door. Marigold went to knock, but then pulled back due to last minute impulse. What if she was bothering her? What if she was scared of her now? Marigold wouldn't blame her, she's kind of scared of herself as well. She inwardly cursed herself for not being able to make up her mind.

She shook her head and went to knock on the door, but as she did she heard footsteps from behind her. She looked through the corners of her eyes, and was met with a pair of lilac eyes that seemed almost doll like, if not for the bags underneath. When he walked up to Marigold, he seemed peeved. Glaring at her as if she was supposed to know what, then it dawned on her. "Kanato, where you going to see Yui?"

"Hm. Yes, I was." He said. Marigold felt awkward, trying her best not to look at the stuffed bear the teen boy was holding. "Please, move out of the way. Your presences is irritating."

A lopsided grin appeared on Marigolds lips and she crossed her arms. "Aw, am I not good enough company?" She fully knew that she was walking a dangerous line right now. But she managed to push past the sudden influence of anxiety that was troubling her early and defaulted to her normal, annoying attitude.

He frowned at her, his voice growing frustrated. "I am not looking for company, I have Teddy to provide that. Acting as if I enjoy being around dumb mortals is ridiculous." She asks him if it was common to get brides to treats as blood slaves, only to receive a bored look from him.

"You're so annoying," He muttered. "Typically we don't keep humans around this long. To think that _man_ is making us keep two useless mortals around is unheard of."

"Huh. Typically?" Marigold knew not to ask what 'that man' ment. She heard that tone of voice before. Mostly from maids talking about their husbands or family when she was still in America. Typically, it doesn't mean anything good. Neglect, abusive, one to many drinks, that's what that tone accompanied. But she didn't know which matched his situation. In a way, she wanted to know more about him.

What is this curiosity fueled by?

"Yes. On occasions we might keep one around to play with. New brides to add to my doll collections is one of the few things that makes you humans useful."

Marigold took a breath, but tried her best to maintain eye contact. The smirk on her face didn't fade, even though it started to become harder and harder not to frown at what he was saying. However, she pushed some of her hair behind her ear and focused on one of the few things she can do. Make Yui's life a little easier.

"Doll collection? If it's not a bother, can you show me?"

A ghost like grin appeared on his face as he held his bear tighter, with the tilt of his head, he parted his lips. "Ahah...You...truly are stupid. I suppose I can." He turned around, "Please, follow me."

Even though he called her stupid, he was still going to show her. Marigold wanted to vomit at the possible though of what the dolls would look like. She knew that they had to be corpses of past brides. But at least Kanato isn't bothering Yui.

As she followed the smaller vampire down the hallways, she saw the crows pecking at the windows, as if they were warning her not to go. However, she knew that this was her responsibility. This is the one thing she can do while she's here.

Being around Kanato was unsettling, to say the least. The way he composed himself always drew a creepy aura to him. His jacket uniform always slightly falling off his shoulder, holding his teddy bear so tight, how you could always just barely hear his tiny feet pitter patter around the mansion. Sometimes it was as if Marigold thought she was talking to a ghost of a child.

While walking in silence, she would hear him giggle to himself. Even though it was scary, his voice drew her in. As if he was daring her to ask why he was laughing, only to give a harsh response.

So far, she has only talked to Subaru and Kanato as herself, Ayato is a different story. But it's easy for her to tell that this isn't just a 'vampire' thing. Something happened here. In her experience of the life of riches and princes, it usually dates back centuries and centuries. Bad blood between families, affairs, lies, that's the only thing the rich do to waste time. Rarely do they care about the effect of their decisions, children or not.

She chewed her bottom lip. As they left the mansion, she followed him off past the garden. Her eyes lingered at the roses they passed. With the moon reflecting light off of them, it reminded her of a fairy tail. She didn't wait, another night, she supposed, she would look at the roses again. She wondered if they had gardeners take care of the garden, or if one of the brothers did. She saw it best to hold off on the question.

As he opened the towering door, he didn't bother to hold it open for her. She had to grab it at the last minute to prevent it from slamming shut. If it closed, she didn't know if she would be strong enough to open it back up.

She followed behind the vampire still, down the main hallway that was covered by 'dolls' on either side. All were dressed as brides, skin so pale it was as if they were mannequins. All in different poses, but all modest. Some eyes were closed, while others were open and baring glass eyes. Their lips were so dry, the make up that he put on them was cracking and peeling.

It..was terrifying.

It smelt like death.

"...You did all of this?" She asked.

A small giggle followed, the shaking of his shoulders as if it was hard to contain himself after such a question. "Yes, I made them beautiful dolls. They're better this way. So quiet.." He says, "Hey, Teddy, this human would make a pretty doll as well, right?"

He spoke with his back facing Marigold. She stood her ground, he fists slowly clenching into fists before she took a breath and released. "They...look great. I'm sure you already know that. You did a good job on making them not look like corpses." She struggled out. This was disgusting.

"I've had practice. Say, when you die, I'll treat your body with much..attention." He said, causing her to raise an eyebrow. He turned around and began walking closer to Marigold. In her mind, she felt as if she should take a step back each time he took a step towards her. But she knew that she couldn't. She knew that he was just trying to get a reaction out of her, and she refused to let that happen. "You're not as annoying at the other girl. Hey, please give me your blood. I'd like to know what it tastes like."

"I'm afraid it's against what I was told when I first got here. Under any other situation, I would. I'm sorry" She was not. Well...She doesn't really mind getting bitten. The more she thought about it, the more it wasn't that bad. Maybe that's just because she's is getting desperate for any sort of high.

"Do you hate me?" A small hint of irritation that would quickly turn into anger was heard in his voice. "You would let any of my brothers take your blood, wouldn't you!?"

"No, I wouldn't." She used the tone that her father would use when a client began to grow angry with him, but her personality still couldn't shut up. "Honestly Kanato, you're quick to jump to assumptions."

His eyes grew bigger with rage right when the words fell from her mouth. Before Marigold could blink, he had her on the ground with his hands around her throat. His legs straddled her, not allowing her to move at all. The tips of his lavender hair nearly tickled her face, as her own eyes where wide open, staring at his.

"You...! Stupid human! Why do you think you can refuse me?! You hate me, don't you? Don't lie to me. Beg for my forgiveness, cry out and run your voice dry. Struggle to get out of my grip, become that pathetic creature that you really are!"

His tinier frame somehow trapped her. His grip on her throat growing tighter and tighter while he spoke. However, she didn't do as he said. She kept the eye contact, letting her eyes speak for her while her mouth could not. Her eyes always had in the past, even while she was talking. They were always louder.

It just made him even more mad.

"Don't...! Don't you dare look at me like that!" He yelled at her, causing her to slightly wince at the sudden noise.

As the tips of her fingers and feet were going numb, she slowly moved her arm. Lightly placing her own hand that was growing cold on top of his corpse like hands. A lop sided grin slowly forming on her lips.

"You're disgusting!" He yelled, tearing slowly flooding his eyes. His emotions were intense, flipping from one side of the spectrum to another.

When the room began to spin, she wasn't as scared as she would have been even a day earlier. It only took her one time after her encounter to Subaru to think of how to deal with it in the future. Marigold isn't the one to give up to another living creature to easily. She only wanted to destroy herself on her own terms, not on someone else's.

Without her alcohol, she is realising how power hungry and controlling she can be.

She told herself not to hyperventilate to save her energy. Not to struggle to much if her assumption of Kanato being a Sadist was right (It was, like, one hundred percent right) and most of all, this is her time to be useful.

She lied there and waited while her head began to ache. She could have sworn she heard she hear a 'caw' from the window again.

Her eyes never left Kanatos, even though when black dots where entering her vision. Her hand rested on his ever so slightly, the lopsided grin never fading. In her head, she wondered what her father would think. After all, he was the one who sent her here.

The black dots in her eyes began to grow bigger, and bigger, until she couldn't see Kanatos eyes at all. She didn't scream and cry though, she didn't struggle or beg for him to stop. As she teetered on the edge of consciousness, she felt the grip on her throat loosen. Immediately with the pressure gone, she struggled to her side, coughing like hell with a pair of lungs that felt like they were on fire.

"You're not as annoying at the other girl, but she gives much better reactions. I think you might be a broken doll, which doesn't give me much to do. Please leave."

She wanted to call him a little bitch baby, but her vocal cords weren't on her side. She sat upwards, closing her eyes and gulping before getting to her feet with shaky breaths.

A broken doll? How pretentious.

* * *

 _Forray forever_

* * *

When she got back to the mansion, she still had half the night to do as she wished with. She didn't dare go all the way back upstairs though. She realized that that's where all the brothers rooms where, and frankly, she was fucking tired of social interaction.

Instead, she wondered around the mansion until she soon found the library that was hidden behind a pair of heavy wooden doors. To be honest, she hasn't picked up a book on her own accord since she was in middle school. But as she was confronted with towering rows of shelves littered with books, motivation to seek out answers she needed pumped through her veins. Some books were covered by a thick layer of dust, while others were clearly taken better care of.

She had too much pride in her to call her parents, knowing that the truth would be denied and her life would be easily snuffed out. Especially her mom, her dad would just think that she's high, but her mom-oh no. Her mom would just...

Marigold doesn't want to think about it.

The first book she picked up was about crows. It's best to work from the bottom up. One weird thing at a time, she thought. The book was like the many in the library, old and dusty. When she opened it she could hear the spine of it cracking, like it was never opened before. But she traced over the cover with her hand, the hard leather nearly taking her breath away (if Kanato didn't steal it earlier).

She closed her eyes and let out a breath. Taking a seat on the floor and leaning against the book shelf, she turned to page one.

* * *

 _Taught them with solace_

 _They know a soft caress_

 _To lower your defense_

 _Hide all that you could_

 _Done for the greater good_

 _It's later understood_


End file.
